Install GeoServer

Step-by-step guide to deploy GeoServer on your infrastructure using Docker, Tomcat, Standalone, or Windows Installer.

📅 Updated: 2025-05-12 ⏱ī¸ Estimated time: 10-15 min 🔧 Difficulty: Beginner

Prerequisites

Ensure your environment meets the following requirements before installation:

RequirementSpecification
Operating SystemLinux, macOS, or Windows 10/11
Java RuntimeOpenJDK 8, 11, or 17 (64-bit)
Disk Spaceâ‰Ĩ 500 MB free
Memoryâ‰Ĩ 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)
NetworkOpen port 8080 (default)
⚠ī¸ Java Version Warning GeoServer 2.24+ requires Java 11 or 17. Using Java 8 may cause startup failures or unsupported API warnings.

Installation Methods

Choose the deployment method that best fits your infrastructure:

1 Pull the official image
Terminal
docker pull osgeo/geoserver:latest
2 Create a persistent volume
Terminal
docker volume create geoserver_data
3 Run the container
Terminal
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 --name geoserver -v geoserver_data:/opt/geoserver/data_dir osgeo/geoserver:latest
ℹī¸ Docker Tips Use environment variables like JETTY_HOST=0.0.0.0 or GEOSERVER_ADMIN_PASSWORD=securepwd to configure at runtime.
1 Install Tomcat 9+

Download and install Apache Tomcat from tomcat.apache.org. Verify installation:

Terminal
catalina.sh version
2 Download GeoServer WAR
Terminal
wget https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/geoserver/geoserver-war/2.24.0/geoserver-war-2.24.0.war
3 Deploy and Start
Terminal
sudo cp geoserver-war-2.24.0.war /opt/tomcat/webapps/geoserver.war\nsudo /opt/tomcat/bin/startup.sh
1 Download Standalone Package

Get the geoserver-2.24.0-bin.zip from the official download page or Maven Central.

2 Extract and Run
Terminal
unzip geoserver-2.24.0-bin.zip -d /opt/geoserver\ncd /opt/geoserver/bin\nchmod +x startup.sh\n./startup.sh
ℹī¸ Built-in Jetty The standalone package includes Jetty 9.4. It listens on port 8080 by default. Configure jetty.xml to change ports or bindings.
1 Download Installer

Run geoserver-2.24.0-setup.exe as Administrator.

2 Follow Wizard
  • Select installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\GeoServer)
  • Choose HTTP port (default: 8080)
  • Install Windows Service (recommended)
3 Launch

Access http://localhost:8080/geoserver/web or start via Services.msc

Verify Installation

After deployment, confirm GeoServer is running correctly:

http://localhost:8080/geoserver/web
admin / geoserver
/geoserver/web/status.html
?service=WMS&request=GetCapabilities
🔐 Security Reminder Change the default password immediately after first login. Consider enabling HTTPS and configuring security constraints for production.

Troubleshooting

! Port 8080 already in use

Another service is binding to the default port. Run sudo lsof -i :8080 to identify it, or change GeoServer's port:

Environment Variable
export JETTY_PORT=9090 # Or use GEOSERVER_HOME/bin/setenv.sh
! Java version mismatch

GeoServer requires Java 8, 11, or 17. Check your version:

Terminal
java -version

If using an incompatible version, set JAVA_HOME to a supported JDK path.

! Logs & Diagnostics

Check the main log file for startup errors:

Path
$GEOSERVER_HOME/logs/geoserver.log

Enable debug logging by modifying log4j.properties in the WEB-INF directory.

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